Work on an exciting wedding anniversary surprise for Al! – Accomplished!

Join the Portsmouth Public Library. – Did not accomplish.

Play catch-up with my 2016 Reading Challenge. – Semi-achieved.

Read the September book and attend my first book club meeting with Sarah H. – Did not accomplish.

Make at least three new recipes. – Did not accomplish.

Sign up for a pen pal through Geek Girl Pen Pals. – Did not accomplish.

Here’s the breakdown:

Complete my first full 30-day blogging challenge! – Accomplished!

I did it! I had a lot of fun with this challenge, overall.

There were a few days where I almost didn’t post, mainly because I had forgotten to write it up in advance and came home dead tired and didn’t feel like I had any energy to write anything. However, I keep thinking of this goal, and it kept me motivated!

I’m not planning to do a challenge in October, but I would like to do one in November. I’m thinking every other month from here on out. Suggestions / recommendations are welcome!

Enjoy my six-year dating anniversary with Al! – Accomplished!

Our dating anniversary fell on a Sunday this year, and it was lovely. We enjoyed a quiet day at home, and then we went out to Greenbrier Mall in Chesapeake to the Cinema Cafe. We discovered that on Sundays and Tuesdays, the tickets are only $1.50! Score!!

We enjoyed seeing Independence Day: Resurgence while we stuffed ourselves with glorious food. We split the spinach artichoke dip. Then, I had the amazing beer-battered shrimp and a hulking amount of popcorn, while Al had the gyro and a salad.

See Emily G. before she jets off to London! – Accomplished!

Al and I drove up to Williamsburg to meet Emily and three other friends (Her boyfriend, Andrew; Emily’s good friend, Michelle; and Michelle’s husband, Brett) for lunch on Saturday, September 10th. We ate at this great place called Food For Thought. Yummy!

I think I like to read more, because reading got me interested in writing from the get-go. Example: I read almost all of the American Girl historical novels before I received my first doll, who came with six blank books where I could write her own stories. I remember filling separate notebooks with stories about Stephanie, but I left those six books blank for a long time. I wanted to keep them pristine, plus I didn’t want to mess them up with errors and cross-outs. The American Girl books fostered my love of historical fiction.

2.) Reading hardbacks or paperbacks?

I prefer hardbacks – I don’t like it when the paperback spines get all crinkled!

3.) Reading E-books or books you can actually hold?

Books you can actually hold, hands down. I’ve tried a few school textbooks on my iPhone and iPad, but every time, I wish I’d paid more money to get the tangible version!

4.) Reading books with the protagonist of a woman or man?

Excellent question. I’ve tended to be drawn to women protagonists.

5.) Reading books written by men or women?

Another good one. Most of my favorite authors – Grisham, Sparks, Fitzgerald – are men. I enjoy their perspective.

6.) Reading books or listening?

Reading. I’ve listened to audiobooks in the car while I’m the driver, but I can’t imagine doing it any place else!

7.) Reading out loud or in your head?

In my head, although I’ve been caught reading out loud before!

8.) Getting books from the library/borrowing them or buying them?

I actually prefer the library. I love buying them, but there’s money involved there. Borrowing books from friends is fun, but I’m always afraid that I’ll get distracted and so much time passes before I actually read the book and give it back to the person! With a library, their time limit is a good motivator to read the books and avoid the fines!

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve downsized my own personal collection and tried to keep it that way.

9.) Reading thrillers or romance?

Thrillers, now. If you’d asked me this question a few years ago, it would have been romance.

10.) Writing in books or not?

Not! I can’t fathom writing in a book. I didn’t even want to write in my textbooks!

11.) Reading long books or short?

Long books are always more fun. I think of it as a challenge!

I Tag:

Everyone, especially my friend who are fellow biblophiles!

If you do participate, please display B.G.’s photo of tag on your post!

This one was really hard to pick. I love a lot of murder and crime books, but I went with my gut instinct – The Pelican Brief by John Grisham. I love the book, and the movie adaptation is so suspenseful!

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Tickle Tuesday: A book that made you laugh out loud:

The Vacationers by Emma Straub. I love her writing style, and I want more! I can’t wait to pick up Modern Lovers at some point.

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Weepy Wednesday: A book that made you weepy/cry:

Most of you know that I love Nicholas Sparks, but for this one, I pick John Green’s Looking for Alaska. It was the first book we needed to read for my Young Adult Literature class in the spring of 2011. It made me bawl!

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Thinking Thursday: A book that made you really think/reevaluate the world/your life:

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. I originally didn’t want to read it, but I’m glad I did. Most of Green’s novels have made me reconsider my perspective on life.

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Fantasy Friday: Favorite fantasy book/series:

Harry Potter. This is the only fantasy book / series that I have truly stuck with and become a huge fan. I was slow to get started, but Rowling’s writing took hold and swept me up faster than a Nimbus Firebolt!

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Sigh Saturday: A book you just could not get into or finish:

Breaking Dawn. I struggled through most of the Twilight series (I was basically forced to watch the first two movies), and by the time I got around to reading this one, I couldn’t stand it anymore. I bought all four books, but I ended up donating them to the local library because I didn’t want to read them ever again.

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Summer Sunday: A book you love to read in the summer or makes you think of summer:

The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks. After months of waiting, I finally got a copy from the library and I read it cover to cover within a few hours while my parents drove home from a trip to Florida.

I love that I’m educating myself with podcasts! I’m learning so many different things about different topics.

Granted, most of the podcasts that I subscribe to are from NPR, but it makes me happy.

I listen to them when I’m in the car, and it’s awesome! Just today, I finished an episode on how accidental integration helped one of the worst school districts in the state of Missouri, the journey of opera singer Ryan Speedo Green, and the fourth time Neil deGrasse Tyson talked about everything, in the name of science!